September 20, 2005

Joe Bauman, whose 72 home runs in one season stood until eclipsed by Barry "Big Head" Bonds : died today at the age of 83, his melon still in proportion to the rest of his body.

read story | posted by mr_crash_davis to Baseball at 10:04 PM CDT (22 comments total)

(whose record 72 home runs in one season)

/tipsy

Comment icon posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:06 PM CDT on September 20

Perhaps we could tell Barry how we really feel about him by simply ignoring him?

Comment icon posted by supersly26 at 10:26 PM CDT on September 20

Joe Bauman 70th home run ball...maybe.

Comment icon posted by justgary at 11:03 PM CDT on September 20

That's a good story - I had forgotten about Bauman's record. 337 homers in nine seasons? How could this guy not make it? That's an average of 37 dingers a year in about 135 games. Ah, maybe he was Rob Deer. I'm too lazy to look it up.

Comment icon posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 7:44 AM CDT on September 21

That is the story of a real ball player. A true lover of the game. Those are the kind of people our kids should look up to, not the Bonds's or the Sprewell's who could care less about how their image and their antics effect the youth.

Comment icon posted by mcstan13 at 9:43 AM CDT on September 21

This Barry Bonds,

he plays baseball?

Comment icon posted by JohnSFO at 10:37 AM CDT on September 21

This is good. People dont realize that there were many more minor leagues teams back. Most of today's players will never understand the ture history of the game..

Comment icon posted by daddisamm at 11:07 AM CDT on September 21

Bonds haters make me laugh. Hate Bonds whom you really know nothing about. But go ahead and idolize this guys who you know even less about. The media could make this guy a jerk too if they wanted. I think I'm a 'real' ballplayer I've played my whole life and never made a cent. But hey I never hit 70+ homers so I guess I'm not cool enough.

That said, Bonds has said some dumb things but I'm not gonna hate someone for saying something stupid once in awhile. And I did like this story and the guy seems like a nice enough guy so it's a shame we have to talk about Bonds instead of him. Finally, I hit a lowly 3 home runs this year.

Comment icon posted by tron7 at 11:13 AM CDT on September 21

its sad that all you guys sit here and hate on Bonds. You dont become as good of a player as he has by using steriods. I dont see Palmero with 700 homeruns in his career.
How bout you guys just recognize that he IS the best player in baseball right now and WILL break Babe Ruths and Hank Aarons record if he choses to play another season.

Comment icon posted by Damnitimsweet at 11:27 AM CDT on September 21

>>and WILL break Babe Ruths and Hank Aarons record if he choses to play another season.

The way Barry's hitting right now, he may reach the Babe this season...

Comment icon posted by JohnSFO at 12:10 PM CDT on September 21

It amazes me just how deeply some people hate Barry Bonds. You can hate the man, you can hate his attitude but come on now, this is a guy who's getting his spring training in a playoff race and has hit three home runs in five games back.

He's not juiced now, anyone who thinks he's juiced up is loony.

Bonds is the best pure hitter in the history of the game. Steroids don't make you hit the ball more squarely, steroids don't make your eyes able to pick up the change up or slider or fastball. Steroids don't make you a better decision maker. Yes, they do make you stronger but, to my knowledge, Barry Bonds has yet to be sanctioned by MLB for a steroid violation. Yes, yes, there was the boondoggle about the "Clear" but that has it resulted in his being suspended from baseball? Has he been fined for illegal steroid use by the cops?

Besides, 72 home runs in the minors equals how many in the majors? Oh yeah, none.

And Crash? I knew that this post would have to come from you. It could have only been more spot on if he'd been a catcher as your fictional namesake.

Comment icon posted by fenriq at 12:16 PM CDT on September 21

When I read a quote of Bonds saying he would make people forget Babe Ruth I began to understand why some people hate this guy.
If you Bonds lovers want to see the best record in baseball go to someone who used enhancement drugs to get there then you don't really care about baseball anyway.

Comment icon posted by mikemora at 12:41 PM CDT on September 21

mikemora, so let me get this straight. Unless people agree with you that Bonds is a cheater then they don't care about baseball?

Hmm, and here I thought Bud Selig was the Baseball Commissioner.

And yes, the home run record was much more sacred during Big Mac and Sammy "Body of Gorilla" Sosa's run. Neither of them ever did any steroids. Nope, Sammy's weight loss is the result of hard work and Big Mac refused to comment so he's in the clear.

Comment icon posted by fenriq at 12:52 PM CDT on September 21

Pass.

Comment icon posted by grum@work at 1:32 PM CDT on September 21

Baroid Bonds- what does he say? Oh I didn't know those where steroids but I paid huge bucks for them or my trainer gave them to me. Come off it Baroid you know you did it. I think if you get busted for the juice or banned substance then all your records should be erased and on their fleer card it should say you cheated. Lets be fair to the kids.

Comment icon posted by T$PORT4lawschool at 3:00 PM CDT on September 21

Sad that grum passed (but understandable).

Comment icon posted by justgary at 3:05 PM CDT on September 21

QUESTION......Has Barry Bonds been convicted of a crime? Has he been caught using steroids? I think the answer to both of those questions in a huge NO!
Granted, he does have a head the size of Elmer Fudd's and everyone remarks how much weight he has gained over the years, but does anyone remember what Tony Gwynn looked like when he came up to the bigs? Tony was listed as 5'10 3/4 and 178 pds. He retired at 226 pounds!
Sincerely,
Barry's Pusher

Comment icon posted by CountDracula58 at 3:35 PM CDT on September 21

In the case of Tony Gwynn, substitute "jelly donuts" for "steroids."

Comment icon posted by The_Black_Hand at 3:49 PM CDT on September 21

Barry is the purest hitter of his generation, and one of the best of all time--a real pleasure to watch, steroids or not.

But this Baumann guy is interesting. He hit 72 homers in 138 games, but was not a Rob Deer. He hit .400 that year. A Barry-like season. Amazing that he never made it the majors, even if partly by choice. He could make more by selling shoestrings on the corner?!!

Did anyone else notice that Baumann played in Roswell, NM? Forget about steroids, maybe the aliens gave him superpowers!

When a pitcher does well in the Pacific Coast League they always say that bodes well because it's a hitters league. Does that really mean that they will somehow do better against major league hitters?

I thought Ted Klezuwski (sp) had the minor league record of 66 dingers.

Comment icon posted by mo at 4:08 PM CDT on September 21

If I remember correctly, that Roswell park was a hitter's park. Not sure if that was due to dimensions, heat, something else . . .

Comment icon posted by yerfatma at 4:51 PM CDT on September 21

By the way, Barry just hit his fourth dinger of the year.

Comment icon posted by fenriq at 6:43 PM CDT on September 21

What is the point of constantly attacking Bonds on the steroids issue. A couple facts seem relevant and often overlooked to people who want to villify a half dozen players for steroids and ignore how rampant big league steroid use really is, the truth of which we will obviously never know. I can understand the frustration of all fans who feel betrayed by professional athletes with artificially enhanced muscular structures, but here is what most people seem to miss.

Baseball is a game of eras. Some where the pitchers dominate and some where the hitters clearly rule. Every so often the balance of power shifts in one direction or the other. These changes in the game make it impossible to comapre players of different generations, although the debate is always interesting. Look at Barry for what you definately know. He is (by far) the best player of this generation of offensive explosion. Enjoy his ABs while you still have a chance to watch him play. It is only so often you get the opportunity to watch greatness perform.

Comment icon posted by bigrobbieb at 7:19 PM CDT on September 21

« older What'd Jew say?… Michelle Wie to turn pro at 15… newer »

This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments.